My Spring Exchange for Satomi Arrived

Satomi in Japan was the recipient of my SBEBB Spring Exchange and I received a message from her today indicating that it arrived safely! It took me a long time to decide on what design I should stitch and after going through all of my charts I came across this one by Lizzie Kate called Think Spring. I just happened to find the coordinating fabric by sheer coincidence! Satomi can either hang it on a door knob or use it as a pillow - her choice!

April Showers

Another rainy day here in Minnesota...but a good day for inside projects! Unfortunately, not all of them are good projects (like doing the laundry) but some of them are fun (like cleaning my computer/craft room). It's always fun to "finger" one's stash.

First, here's a picture of a project I started recently and worked on quite a bit over the past three days. It's the Quilt Time Sampler from Little House Needleworks - I've almost completed the middle section; now I have to stitch the two ends. This will be a gift for my sister-in-law when finished (she doesn't read my blog!)



March proved to be another challenging month for stitching - we just had a lot of other outside activities going on. Here's what I accomplished in March:

DT Game Board Sampler - stitched some letters and numbers (right border) and four more squares!

Apricot Elegance - almost done!

Spot of Spring - done!

Quarterly House Exchange and Spring Themed Exchange - done!

In addition to these, I completed the stitching on another Essy's Friends kit (just need to complete the finishing) and started a Danish Pulled Thread project (as part of a class at my LNS).

April's Stitching Goals are as follows:

DT Game Board Sampler - get back on track! Stitch two squares per week; Sundays with Bine - anyone else going to join us?

Spot of Summer - Thursdays with Katrina, Von, and Kath

Finish Apricot Elegance and Essy's Friends projects (started in March)

Quaker Exchange Gift (stitching is done - finish and mail by April 14)

Continue to work on Quilt Time Sampler and also, pull out a Hardanger WIP and try to finish...we'll see!

Thanks to everyone who has visited my blog recently! Your comments are greatly appreciated!

House Themed Exchange

When I started blogging late last summer, I quickly became acquainted with Becky and her exchange boards. I watched and was amazed at some of the beautiful stitched pieces being exchanged from one stitcher to another. I wanted to receive beautiful gifts like these too, but I was really scared that I might not be able to produce gifts equally as nice (my finishing experience is quite limited!) In January, I finally bit the bullet and joined two of Becky's exchange boards - the Stitching Bloggers Exchange Board and the Exchange Place.

Recently, the deadline passed for one of the exchanges I signed up for - the house themed exchange. The instructions were to stitch a house with a Spring theme and plant some flowers around it. Finishing instructions were stitcher's choice.

When I returned from my short vacation today, a package was waiting for me from Nancy in San Diego. She stitched a lovely pillow for me. The design is from a Darlene O'Steen sampler called "House Sampler". I love the colors and the fabric she used to frame the piece (it's a sampler fabric!) Along with her stitching she sent a notepad and some DMC floss. I'm just thrilled with this first exchange gift! Thank you Nancy!

Front of pillow:



Back of pillow:



While I was away, Laurie in Decorah received the house I stitched for her. I based my design on the Drawn Thread design "No Place Like Home" (with some modifications of course!)




This first exchange has been a great experience!

One More Thing

As soon as I saw this new design from Little House Needleworks, I thought of Barbara. Isn't it an adorable design?

The Counting House

Have you seen the new Drawn Thread designs? Do you like them? I must admit, I like most anything from Drawn Thread!

Check out the English Garden Pocket and the Wayward Garden Chart!

Okay, better sign off. The kids are ready to go!

Heading North

Heading north to Duluth and then over to visit my cousins near Grand Rapids, MN for a couple of days (my kids are on spring break). Hopefully I'll have a stitching update for you when I return. And I'll have a lot of catching up to do on my blog reading!!

Have a nice weekend everyone!

Stitching Update with Pictures!

Finally, Blogger is cooperating and posting my pictures!

Here's my first update - I've been participating in a SAL that's been working on Cindy Valentine's Apricot Elegance Needlebook and Scissors Fob. This is my first attempt at any kind of needlebook! I'm almost done with the needlebook - I need to get some felt for the needle pages and need to make the cording for the closure. Then I'll need to stitch and finish the scissors fob. I am so pleased with this project - it's even better than I imagined it would be!




Update #2 - I promised you shopping pictures. Below you will see the lovely purchases that I made at Shakespeare's Peddler.

Dutch Strawberries from The Goode Huswife - Theresa had this framed and it was gorgeous! I'll be stitching this one on 40 ct. Iced Cappucino.

Sunflower Charms/Loose feathers #15 from Blackbird Designs - This one makes me think of summer, and we could use some warm weather in MN right now! I also purchased the 30 ct. Korty's Blend from R&R to stitch this one.

Finally, the pale yellow fabric you see in the photo was Theresa's fabric special for the month of March. The color is called "Chime" and it's from Picture this Plus. It's yummy and buttery and I have no idea what I'm going to use it for!

Update #3 - Here's the photo I promised you last night of my progress on Danish Pulled Thread Embroidery...watch for more updates on this one!



Now I'm off to bed!

March Madness!

Yes, I do think that is the best way to describe the month of March! Here in the U.S. we call it "madness" because there are so many college sporting finals - Men's and Women's Basketball Final Four, Men's and Women's Hockey Final Four, etc. In Minnesota all of the high school tournaments for winter sports are held in March too.

It has been a busy month with school and children's activities. Here it is the last week of March and I don't have much to show for myself in the way of stitching!

My sister-in-law, my daughter, and I took a road trip to Fargo, ND this past weekend. It's about a 4 1/2 hour drive from the Twin Cities. Yup, you guessed right - we went to the Nordic Needle. Spent nearly two hours looking at everything in their shop! Then we visited Theresa at Shakespeare's Peddler - we made arrangements to meet her at the shop (she will open her shop by appointment on Saturdays). Of course, we made a few purchases; okay, we made a lot of purchases. I'll share them with you as the week progresses.

This evening was spent packaging up two of my exchange projects - the Quarterly House Exchange (the Exchange Place board) and my Spring Exchange (SBEBB). They will be going in the mail tomorrow.

I think I mentioned that I am taking a class on Danish Pulled Thread - I have a picture to post but blogger is misbehaving again. I'll try to add it later.

In the meantime, have a great evening!

Away

Sorry for my lack of posting lately - March has been a challenging month for me. My daughter and I are going on a quick weekend trip, so I'll be away for the next two days. Will try to post some updates next week!

Shepherd's Bush Retreat

Shepherd's Bush is planning a needlework retreat for this fall. Has anyone in blogger land ever attended one of these, hosted by Shepherd's Bush?

Shepherd's Bush Retreat

Lots of designers - looks like it would be fun! All of the details will be available in April. Anyone interested in attending?

Four More Squares

Please excuse the wrinkled appearance (I stitch in hand)- having neglected this piece for the past two weeks, I finally took time to work on it last night. This is a SAL that I have been doing with Bine. Normally I stitch two squares per week. Last night I stitched four squares. Now, if I can find time to stitch two more squares sometime this week I will be back on track!

Spot of Spring Photo

Finally, blogger is cooperating!

Spot of Spring Happy Dance!

Well, I'll have to add the photo later - Blogger is not cooperating this morning. On Thursday's, I've been stitching along with Katrina and Von on the DT "Spots". I'm happy to report that I just finished Spot of Spring. I will likely start another spot, perhaps not this week, but week after (I have quite a bit of catching up to do!)

There just hasn't been much time for stitching lately. I had a busy week at work and winter sports are wrapping up for both kids. What time I did have was spent working on exchanges and my version of Apricot Elegance - many who participated in this SAL have completed their needlebook; I'm still working on finishing my stitching!

This afternoon, I will be stitching on a Danish Pulled Thread project that I started two weeks ago. I'm taking a class at one of the local needlework shops. We meet every other Tuesday and I need to finish my assignment for this Tuesday's class. After this week's class I should be able to post a picture.

We have about 15 inches of snow on the ground here in MN - yes, mother nature packed quite a punch this past week! I can't wait for spring!

Monday Update

Wow, I haven't posted much lately. Having trouble keeping up I guess.

I've been busy working on exchange pieces and completed the stitching this weekend on my Spring Exchange (SBEBB) and my House Themed Exchange (The Exchange Place). I will be able to do the finishing next weekend and they will be ready to mail, yahoo!

My SALs are calling to me (DT Game Board Sampler and Spot of Spring) but I really want to finish Apricot Elegance - I'm so close! More than likely that's what I will work on this week.

Over the weekend I accepted the Friends Gather 24-hour challenge. Kind of a wimpy project, but at least I got it done including most of the finishing (I still have to do the beaded edge). This is one of the Essy's Friends kits from a few months ago:



We received 10 inches of snow today - quite a shock to the system considering it was in the 40's and 50's just last week!

Lots of Stitching; No Pictures

Hi everyone! It's Sunday afternoon in cold and snowy Minnesota. Just thought I'd post a quick note telling you that I got lots of stitching done both Friday night and Saturday night, but I can't tell you what I did. Shhhhhh, it's a SECRET!

Actually, I decided to use this weekend to stitch up two of my exchange gifts - the House Themed Exhange (The Exchange Place) and the Spring exchange (SBEBB). I still have a little bit more work to do on both of them. I may give my SALs a rest this week so that I can finish these.

Questions?

Katrina asked: Is the Sampler Board stitched over one or two threads? The DT Game Board is stitched on 25ct Dublin and is stitched over two threads using two threads of floss. I'm not sure what the exact color name is on the fabric - my cut wasn't marked!

Lili asked: You have loads of stitching plans for March. When are you going to sleep? Good question Lili. I'll have to get back to you on that one!

Donnasews asked: What a cute snowman (HE Snowman Button Sampler)...Will this be a pillow? Donna, I haven't really thought about it. More than likely I will save this one to be framed...someday...

Lili asked: Your snowman button sampler is gorgeous! Can't remember the designer? Lili, the designer for this one is Homespun Elegance. She also designed a very cute Sheep Button Sampler (which I've also stitched and like alot!)

Tobie asked: Does Robin (my not-so-secret stitcher) live close to you? No, we're about a 3-hour drive apart. She lives northwest of the Twin Cities in an area known for its beautiful lakes and resorts. Great summer vacation spot!

And finally, a message for Tobie: Yes you should find your DT Game Board Sampler in the WIP bin and stitch along with Bine and me. We only stitch one-two squares a week so it is totally manageable!

Have a great week everyone!

Seeing Spots!

Made some progress on Spot of Spring last night:



To see other 'spots' please visit Katrina's blog and Von's blog. Note that Katrina has completed her spot - happy dance! And Von is making great progress on hers!

Thanks to all who have visited my blog recently. I enjoy reading your comments and appreciate your encouragement!

Game Board Sampler Update

Normally I work on this project on Sundays with Bine. I had completed one square this past Sunday, but I wanted to get a little bit more done on it, so tonight, I stitched more of the right border (S - Z and 1 - 6).



March Stitching Goals:

DT Game Board Sampler SAL with Bine (Sundays)

Cindy Valentine Apricot Elegance with Stitching Smalls SAL group (weekly)

Spot of Spring SAL with Katrina and Von (Thursdays)

Miss Mary Mack - yup, gotta find time to finish this one!

Quarterly House Exchange - finish and mail by March 31

Spring Themed Exchange - finish and mail by March 30

Stitch an ornament with Friends Gather

Good thing there are more days in March than there were in February!

Final February Finish

I just couldn't hold myself back. I wanted to finish this project in the worst way, so here it is: Snowman Button Sampler from Homespun Elegance!



Okay, I should have straightened those buttons before I took the picture - and I noticed that the shading on the snowman's face is vertical, whereas the rest of the body is horizontal! It doesn't bother me enough to rip and re-stitch, so it is what it is!

Quick review of February's goals:

Continue working on SAL's - Apricot Elegance, Game Board Sampler and Miss Mary Mack (Worked on both Apricot Elegance and Game Board Sampler)

Work on a project from WIP bag (It wasn't exactly a WIP, but I started and finished Snowman Button Sampler)

Stitch an ornament with Friends Gather (I completed Glory Bee's Seasons Greetings from 2005 JCS Ornament issue.)

Start on house exchange project (Started; sorry, can't show this one until complete!)

Participate in other Friends Gather challenges (Hopefully next month - unfortunately, due to some unexpected events, my month was thrown out of whack.)

Not bad if I may say so myself. Will post March's goals in tomorrow's update.

Wish I had More to Report

Had a busy weekend - On Saturday we celebrated my nephew's third birthday. He's such a cute little guy and quite a character. Girls, watch out! On Sunday, my daughter played in a one day tournament - three basketball games! Needless to say, these activities didn't leave much time for stitching, but it was good to be with family and friends!

Here's an update on HE Snowman Button Sampler. As you can see, he is almost done; in fact, I had hoped to finish this one in February. That probably won't happen, but it will be finished soon!



The photo below is of two gifts I received in February from my "not-so-secret" stitchers. The not-so-secret stitcher program is coordinated every December through Shakespeare's Peddler. Several years ago I signed up and got connected with Jan in Evansville, IN. We've continued to write to each other ever since. In February, Jan sent me the Minnesota heart from Victoria Sampler along with two tubes of my favorite color of lipstick (Jan sells Avon). This year I put my name in the hat again and got connected with Robin who lives in Brainerd, MN. Robin sent me this beautiful hand knit scarf. It's so soft! Aren't they great friends?



Tonight I'm going to work on DT Game Board Sampler a little bit more. I completed one square yesterday, but would like to make a little more progress on it. Bine is stitching along with me on this one!
I'll try to post a progress picture tomorrow!

Progress Made!

I finally got my act together...a couple of weeks ago, Katrina asked if I might be interested in a SAL for Spot of Summer (it is summer in New Zealand). I told her I would stitch Spot of Winter with her. To my surprise, the pattern was missing from my chartpack! I haven't resolved that issue yet, but I also had Spot of Autumn in my stash, so I told Katrina I would stitch that.

Truth is, I wasn't really in the mood to stitch Spot of Autumn, so yesterday I went out and purchased Spot of Spring. I finally got it started and will now be stitching along with Katrina on Thursdays!

Olympic Fever

Sorry - no time for stitching updates - I'm watching the Olympics! Stitching updates will be posted tomorrow or Sunday!

You Are Curling

What you lack in athleticism, you make up for in concentration. And while curling isn't much more of a sport than bowling, you *can* win a gold medal for it!

What Winter Sport Are You?

Sunday Evening Already?

Gosh, where did the weekend go? Mine certainly flew by!

On Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of meeting Linda N at a local bakery/coffee shop. Linda is leading the Apricot Elegance SAL for the Stitching Smalls Yahoo group. Shortly after starting this project we both realized we were in MN and then quickly figured out that we lived about 2 miles from each other. Small world, isn't it? Linda had the opportunity to go to Nashville and so it was fun to hear all about it. We admired each others progress on the Apricot Elegance project.

Due to family commitments and my daughter's basketball tournament, I didn't get too much stitching done this weekend. Today, I stitched three squares on the Drawn Thread Game Board Sampler that I'm doing with Bine. (Will post updated photo next week-)

Last night, I worked on the Homespun Elegance Snowman Button Sampler - all that's left is to finish the bottom mittens, stitch the top mittens and to stitch the snowman.

I'm also going to stitch with Katrina on the Drawn Thread Spot of Summer/Winter. Katrina is actually doing summer and I'm stitching winter. Well, I was going to stitch winter. Imagine my surprise when I opened the chart pack on Wednesday night and - there was no pattern! I think it was a printing oops! The inside pages are blank. So, since I don't have time to go back to the needlework store right now, I'm going to switch and stitch Spot of Autumn with Katrina. She started on hers last week; I won't be able to start until this week!

Has anyone made any purchases since Nashville? I have already received "A Most Noble Pursuit" from Elegant Stitch. I've ordered the "Red Desert Scissors Pocket" from Elegant Stitch too. Other than that, I've just got a wish list going. It's getting pretty long...

Thanks to all who have stopped by and left a comment. Have a great week!

Midweek Stitching Update

Hello dear friends. Thanks to everyone who has visited my blog and left comments. I enjoy hearing from each of you!

Happy belated Valentine's Day to you! I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday and wasn't able to post. Here's a pic of a Hardanger valentine heart that I stitched for a couple of friends. Becky received hers, but I'm not sure about the others yet, so I won't mention any other names right now! :)



In addition to getting caught up on the Apricot Elegance SAL, over the weekend, I stitched an ornament. "Seasons Greetings" is a design from Glory Bee and it was included in the 2005 JCS Ornament issue. I made some substitutions on thread colors (using up some of that stash!) This one is quick and easy! I'll worry about finishing later...



Finally, I've been itching to stitch this one for awhile now and since I'm fairly caught up on other projects, I started the "Snowman Button Sampler" from Homespun Elegance. I've made pretty good progress. The alphabet is all stitched. I'm using the 28ct Amber linen and the Sampler/Weeks fibers as indicated on the pattern.



Now I need to pull out DT Spot of Winter and try to make a start on it tonight. Katrina is stitching DT Spot of Summer and we're going to try to complete these together. Time to get busy on my exchange pieces too - I have some fabulous ideas.

Please keep two of my blogging friends in your thoughts. One special friend is recovering from surgery and the other recently had her computer stolen out of her home. I'm hoping that everything works out okay for both of them. Until next time...happy stitching!

Apricot Elegance Update

I was a tad bit behind on this SAL, needing to complete weeks 4, 5, and 6. While watching (actually listening to) the Olympics last night and tonight, I was able to get caught up. The color is distorted - it's hard to get a good picture when it is 9:30pm - but at least you can get some idea as to the progress I've made. There won't be another lesson on this until next weekend, so now I've got time to work on other projects.

This weekend my daughter is playing in the basketball tournament sponsored by our team's association. I worked two hours in concessions today and need to volunteer an additional four hours in admissions tomorrow. It takes a huge chunk out of the weekend, but volunteers help to keep the costs down. Our association relies on profits from this tournament to keep our program fees affordable. We only have to do this one weekend each year, so it's not so bad.

I'm looking forward to enjoying the Olympics this weekend and throughout the week. We are huge sports fans and especially like to watch the hockey games and the figure skating. Do you have a particular Olympic sport that you enjoy watching during the Winter Olympics?

Have a great Sunday everyone and take care!

...and then there were five....

I seem to be on a roll here - on Tuesday evening I completed two more of Essy's Friends. These are quick and easy to stitch and finish resulting in instant gratification! My latest two finishes are #2 Shoot for the Moon (center) and #6 from Shepherds Bush (tin pin to the right). I have two left to stitch and finish and then I will be caught up.



I hope to get back into my regular routine soon. I need to work on my mint green version of Apricot Elegance. I'm three lessons behind, but I think I could catch up quite easily. And then there's Miss Mary Mack....hmmm, perhaps this weekend. Definitely not a night-time project!

Dear friends - thanks again for your support these past few days. It meant a great deal to me.

...and then there were three...

First, thank you all for your kind comments and your expressions of sympathy. It's been a tough couple of days for me and I appreciate your support.

Tonight was spent making many phone calls. I had many things that I should have done, but felt like I needed to relax a bit, so I pulled out the latest installment of Essy's Friends from Elegant Stitch. It came in the mail this past weekend. The design is from Sampler Cove and it's called Halle's Heart. It's an original quaker motif stitched on 32 ct. Awareness Pink with two strands of Threadgatherer Silk 'n Colors in lavender. It is finished in a square tin pin. As you can see, I've completed three of these so far - I still have four of them waiting to be stitched!

Progress Made Plus Another Finish!

While watching the Super Bowl tonight (actually, I stitch and listen) I finished up another small Hardanger doily. This smaller design was a snap to stitch; although I started it last month and just finished it tonight (other projects got in the way!) The design is from Satin Stitches by Donna M. Olson and is from the Time for Tea - Jasmine chartpak. I used a pale pink Hardanger fabric and a soft pink pearl cotton thread from Needle Necessities.


I also made progress this weekend on DT Game Board Sampler. I had some catching up to do - my goal is to stitch two squares per week. Last Sunday I didn't stitch on it at all. So last night I completed five additional squares (so I'm now one square ahead!) Bine and I have been working together on this one. I might finally be catching up to her!

This past week was a very difficult week for me. My last living aunt passed away yesterday after spending the week in the hospital. I was very fortunate to have spent time with her this past week in the hospital, particularly four precious hours on Friday night. She was very special to me and while I know that it is a blessing that she no longer endures any pain or suffering, it's very difficult for me to let go. We particularly missed her today - she was a huge football fan and would have come tonight to watch and celebrate the Super Bowl with us. Auntie Florence - I will never forget you!

January Recap

Already one month down for 2006. I am pleased to report that I finished two projects this month:

LHN Season of Rest
Satin Stitches Wild Rose

I also think I made pretty good progress on some of my SALs. I'm currently working on DT Game Board Sampler, Cindy Valentine Apricot Elegance, and La D Da Miss Mary Mack. Okay, I could have done better on Miss Mary Mack!

Here are February's stitching goals:

Continue working on the three SALs mentioned above

Work on (perhaps finish?) a project from my WIP bag

Stitch an ornament with Friends Gather

Start on house exchange project

Participate in some of the other challenges with the Friends Gather group!

Lofty goals I suppose, but we'll see how I do! What are your stitching plans for February?

LHN Happy Dance!

Season of Rest by Little House Needleworks (pillow from Trail Creek Farm)

It was a long, busy week at work, so I hadn't picked up a needle since last weekend. When I got home on Friday night, I just didn't feel like working on any of the projects that I 'should' be working on (Apricot Elegance, Miss Mary Mack, etc.) During the week, I saw Becky's post about her recent purchases at her LNS. It reminded me that I had Season of Rest in my stash and so I decided to work on it Friday night. So, about 9 hours later - it's finished! I enjoy LHN designs for this reason - they stitch up quickly. This particular design uses a pillow and fabric covered buttons from Trail Creek Farm, so it's an easy finish too. I really love the colors in the design and the pillow fabric. Soooooo, won't you dance with me?

Weekend Stitching Update

It's hard to believe that the weekend is over! On the weekends, I normally make pretty good progress with stitching projects; however, this particular weekend was busy with other activities. I did finally fit in some stitching today.

This afternoon I stitched two additional squares on the DT Game Board Sampler. I'll post an updated photo next week.

Tonight I completed lessons 3, 4, and 5 for the EGA Mystery Sampler that has been featured in the last three issues of NeedleArts magazine. (Please excuse the wrinkles!) The last issue came out in December, but I just didn't have time to work on this around the holidays. The stitches this time around were all quite interesting: Four-sided stitch, Irish stitch (bargello), blackwork and herringbone, to name a few. I'm stitching my sampler with the colors indicated in the magazine. Now I'm caught up until the next issue of NeedleArts comes out (in March I think).

I have a busy week ahead of me, but I hope to complete the following stitching projects this week: Apricot Elegance SAL (Week 4), Miss Mary Mack SAL (didn't stitch on her at all last week), and work on one other project from the WIP bag! That should do it. Have a good week and thanks for stopping by!

Blog Name

Hi everyone! No stitching updates to report, but I do want to point out that I made a slight adjustment to my blog name - it's now With Needle and Thread. I decided that my original title was too similar to With My Needle (Ellen Chester). Not that that is a bad thing, but with the adjustment there's no worry about confusion. So, if needed, please update the name on your blogrolls...

Hopefully I'll have a stitching update tomorrow!

Apricot Elegance - Week Three

This project is progressing nicely. Tonight I added the cables and the small satin "flowers. I am really enjoying this SAL!

Thanks to everyone who has visited my blog. I appreciate your words of kindness and encouragement.

Tomorrow evening I hope to work on the EGA Mystery sampler - I spent some time on it two nights ago and managed to complete lesson three. I still have lessons four and five to finish, then I'll post a progress picture. This has been an interesting project because it uses many different specialty stitches.

Have a good Wednesday! Happy Hump Day!

DT Game Board Sampler - Latest Installment

I seem to be establishing a routine - on Sundays I work on the DT Game Board Sampler. Tonight I completed more of the inner border and two additional squares. It took longer than you would expect to complete these two squares!

First Finish for 2006!

Mission Accomplished!

At the end of 2005, I cleaned through all my stash and tried to get organized (like so many others). I pulled all of my WIPs out and put them in a bag. I am determined to get as many of these projects finished as possible!

This Hardanger piece was one of my WIPs. I started sometime in early 2005. The klosterblocks and the blanket stitches were completed. I hadn't done any of the pulled work or the open work, nor had I completed the satin stitch in the center. Part of the reason for my delay was because I had used DMC 739 #8 pearl cotton for my klosterblocks and blanket stitches and I couldn't find that same color in #12 to do the pulled work and open work. (I didn't realize that they don't offer #12 for all colors!) When I finally picked this up again, two weeks ago, I decided to use a #12 thread that I had in my stash - it's a pearl cotton that is made in Spain - Finca/Presencia. It's almost an exact match and I'm happy with the results.

By the way, this doily is approximately 10 inches square. I worked it on 25 ct cream Dublin. The pattern is from Satin Stiches/Donna M. Olson and it is called Wild Rose.



Today I will most likely put some time in on the DT Game Board Sampler. I seem to be establishing a pattern where I work on that project on Sundays! The next lesson is in for the Apricot Elegance SAL - more than likely I will complete that during the week. And then there's Miss Mary Mack - I have to work on that one when the spirit moves me!

Off to grocery shopping. Not my favorite task, so I may as well just get it over with!

A Productive Stitching Week

Thus far, I've accomplished everything I set out to do this week. Tonight I completed the first lesson for the SAL I'm doing with others in the Stitching Smalls SAL group. The design is from Cindy Valentine and it is called Apricot Elegance. I've elected to do mine in a soft, mint green (28 ct. Cashel). I'm using overdyed pearl cotton thread from Needle Necessities. So far, so good!

Miss Mary Mack

Good evening everyone! Well, I was planning to work on Apricot Elegance tonight, but after seeing Barbara's update and reading Chelle's update, I was motivated to get started on our Miss Mary Mack SAL. We've decided to stitch her small enough to fit into one of those rectangular tin pins.

I think I made pretty good progress for about an hour's worth of stitching! I'm stitching her over one (half stitch) on 40ct. Sheep's Straw (the photo is a tad bit dark). I'm using one strand of GAST Black Crow. As you can see, I did one foot and about six rows of the skirt. It actually stitched up pretty quickly!



Maybe tomorrow I'll work on Apricot Elegance?

Many of you asked about the fabric I'm using for DT Game Board Sampler - it's just 25 ct Dublin in a cream color - the photo wasn't very good; it made it look darker than it actually is. Thank you for your kind comments!

DT Game Board Sampler

Here's my picture of what I completed last night. (Okay, I had a few stitches that I did today!) I added the inside border and my first two squares. Now I'm off to start Apricot Elegance...

Stitching Update

Happy Monday!

I did spend some time working on my DT Game Board Sampler last night. I'm stitching this with Bine. I'll try to post a picture tonight - I was able to complete two of the squares in the top right corner.

I'm trying very had to avoid making additional purchases - but it is proving to be really difficult! Take a look at these two new designs from Drawn Thread (they are posted on the Elegant Stitch website). The first is called Red Lace Sewing Kit and the second is called Three Friends. Note too the out of print charts on this page that have been made available again. How can I resist any of these?

Have a great day!

Hardanger WIP

With the kids back in school and all of their activities in full swing, my stitching time took a hit this past week.

I did spend a fair amount of time 'with my needle and thread' on Friday night though. I decided to pull out a Hardanger doily that I had started several months ago. There's not too much left on it. I was able to complete the double cable stitch, the eyelets and some of the cutting/openwork. One more solid night of stitching and I think I could almost finish this one! The design is from Satin Stitches and it's called Wild Rose. I'm stitching it on 25 ct Dublin. Sorry the picture isn't the best:



Tomorrow, I'd like to spend a little bit of time on DT Game Board Sampler and then I need to get Apricot Elegance started.

Thanks for all your nice comments on Faith, Hope and Love. Senorita Stitches had asked about the size - it's 4" by 6" when stitched on 28ct. Jenna, yes, I do think that I will frame this one!

Apricot Elegance

I'm going to be participating in a SAL with a group from Stitching Smalls. The design is by Cindy Valentine and it's called Apricot Elegance. It's a beautiful sewing case, box insert and scissor fob. As you can see, I'm going to do mine in a soft, minty green. I won't have time to get started until this weekend. I can't wait!

Starting the New Year with a New Project

Happy New Year everyone! Enjoyed the day entertaining family - good food, good company, great fun!

Started a new project for the new year. I've probably owned the pattern for at least six or seven years, purchased the fabric three or four years ago, but just never could get motivated enough to get it started. Then, several weeks ago, I noticed that Bine in Germany was stitching this design and decided to stitch along with her. She's been patiently waiting for me to get going! Bine is stitching one house per week. I'm probably going to try to do a little bit more so that I can catch up to her!

Here it is - today's progress on the Game Board Sampler by Drawn Thread:



The other projects I would like to work on over the next several weeks are:

Cindy Valentine Apricot Elegance (Stitching Smalls group)

Homespun Elegance Snowman Button Sampler

Little House Needlework Season of Rest

EGA Mystery Sampler (need to complete the last three lessons)

There are other smaller projects that I will work on, but these are some of the more substantial projects that I would like to complete.

Tomorrow is my official work holiday. The kids are off of school. We're planning to stay home, watch the Rose Parade, and just enjoy the day. Have a great day!

Final Finish for 2005

This is my final project for 2005 and I'm finishing it just under the wire! Faith Hope and Love was designed by LHN. I'm planning to have this one framed.

Best wishes and happy stitching in 2006!

Winter Wonderland II

This is what our neighborhood looked like at 8:30am yesterday. It continued to snow through most of the morning and afternoon. Everything is white and clean and there's a certain "sereneness" about a fresh covering of snow!

I made it into work just fine; there wasn't much traffic at all. I'm sure many people were off for the holiday. We were released early, so by 4:30pm I was relaxing and stitching. Both kids were gone with friends and my DH was puttering in the garage. I watched, without interruption, the Sound of Music! This is one of my all time favorite movies and every now and then I pull it out and enjoy!

While watching the movie, I finished another Essy's Friends project (this one designed by Lilybet) and did the stitching on another (I'll work on finishing it today). I have two more to complete and then I will be caught up. The next design is by Shepherd's Bush.



I also worked on Faith, Hope, and Love but it's not quite finished. It's quite boring stitching the border! There will be more time for stitching today, so visit again for updates!

Von, thanks for the update regarding the Rose Parade. I didn't realize that they had moved it to Monday!

Happy New Year everyone!

It's Snowing Again!

Well, we had a nice break from winter over the Christmas holiday, but as of this evening, winter is back! We're expecting up to four inches between now and noon tomorrow. Oh how I wish I could crawl under a blanket and stay there! Unfortunately, it's a work day for me tomorrow (hopefully a short one) so I will need to get up in the morning and make the trek in. Hopefully other people are on vacation tomorrow so that the commute isn't too bad!

I did get a little bit of stitching in tonight. I worked on another one of the Essy's Friends kits. Hopefully I can finish it off tomorrow and then will post a picture. As I stitch these, I think of two dear friends each who recently had a masectomy. (Proceeds from these kits benefit breast cancer research.)

What's everyone doing for New Year's Eve? We typically stay home and enjoy being home! For supper, I think we're going to grill steaks (yes, we use our grill even when there's a foot of snow on the ground!) and will have baked potatoes with butter and sour cream. We usually watch movies that the whole family will enjoy. You can be sure that I'll be sitting in the corner of the couch stitching! On Sunday we will watch the Rose Parade and all of the football games.

Whatever your plans are - have a safe and happy New Year's Eve. Wishing you peace and lots of stitching time in 2006!

Faith, Hope, and Love

Well, I survived three days of chauffering. I don't even want to stop and figure out how many miles I put on the car in the past three days! Tomorrow I return to work - I'm glad there are only two work days left this week!

I did find time for some stitching tonight. I purchased this pattern and fabric through Elegant Stitch several weeks ago - it was a fundraiser for Katrina's Kids (proceeds used to purchase holiday gifts for kids who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina). The design is from Little House Needleworks. I have to stitch the heart at the top yet and there's a stitched border around the entire design. The stitching went quickly! It's called Faith, Hope, and Love...



I've been thinking about setting some stitching goals for 2006. I have a hard time planning too far out, so I may just set goals for the first three months of they year and then review and adjust every three months...I may post more on this tomorrow.

Well, off to blog reading. Have a good day!

Essy's Friends #1

I think I first saw this on Karen's blog a couple of months ago. It prompted me to find out what Essy's Friends was all about. Once I realized that proceeds were donated to benefit breast cancer, I immediately signed up. I now have the first five kits and have finished my first one.

This design is from Mosey 'n Me. It's stitched on 32ct Awareness Pink from R&R. I must say that the tin pin finishing was quite easy and very quick!

Pillow Addiction

WARNING...If you are trying to reduce your needlework stash (vs. adding to it), do not, and I repeat, DO NOT, read this post!

I may soon have to join needleworks anonymous - I'm completely addicted to these pillow designs from Little House Needleworks! Recently I purchased the pattern and the coordinating pillow for Season of Rest. I received it in the mail just before Christmas. Now, look at this adorable pillow from Country Cottage Needleworks - it's called Rose Cottage. I love the design and I love the fiber colors.

I may never dig out of this pile of stash I'm in. Sure am having fun though!

Last, but not Least

I have one last finish to share with you. Yesterday, Christmas Eve, my daughter and I made a quick shopping trip and then came home and made fudge and chocolate mint cookies. I had a couple final ornaments to finish and here's one that you haven't seen:

It's from the 2003 JCS Ornament issue; the design is by Glory Bee. It was a quickie to stitch!

We had a wonderful evening last night at my mom's. My entire family was there (I have four brothers!) It's rare for us all to be there at the same time on any holiday, so this was quite a special occasion. With four in-laws (actually, we call them the 'outlaws') and seven grandchildren, I guess you could say we had a full house!

My mother is a church organist, so growing up, I always went with her to midnight mass (in the days when the service was really at midnight!) Now, many churches have their evening service at 10 p.m. My mother still plays the organ at her church. I sang last night in the choir at my church. It was particularly nice to have my daughter there with me - she played the flute with the orchestra!

Today's events were much slower paced - we returned to my mom's for dinner - pork roast, beef roast, mashed potatoes, carrots, broccoli, etc., etc. It was a much smaller crowd today. We were joined by my 85 year-old aunt who always spends holidays with us. Then it was on to football! Both of our teams (Green Bay and Minnesota) lost today. :(

Tomorrow I play chauffeur to my son and daughter who have hockey and basketball camp respectively! At some point during the day, I plan to go through my stitching stash to figure out what my priorities are going to be for 2006!

Have a wonderful day after Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas

Dear friends,

Wishing you the magic of Christmas and the gift of love...have a wonderful holiday!

I promise to be back in full force (stitching and blogging) after this weekend! My gifts are all wrapped, but I'm hoping to fit in some baking yet tomorrow. We'll see if that works out. Saturday and Sunday will be spent celebrating the holiday with family. Monday will be a day of rest!

Thank you for your friendship - it's been great sharing my love of stitching with all of you. I have appreciated your words of encouragement throughout the past few months. I've also enjoyed visiting your blogs - what a talented group you are!

Rest, relax and enjoy the next few days!

Peace,

Cathy

Ta Da...Ornaments!

Some of you may recall seeing one of these prior to being finished. I finally had time last night to turn them in to ornaments. It's just a simple pillow (my finishing experience is limited and I didn't have time to try something new). I thought the beads added a nice touch. The design is from Nordic Needle, 2003 JCS.

We've had nearly six inches of snow already in just seven hours time. We're expecting it to continue to snow all day. I'm heading out to work now - I fear that it is going to be a long commute!

Have a great day!

Reminiscing

Sorry friends, I've been doing a pretty good job of keeping up with reading everyone else's blogs. I haven't had much time though to post any new messages to mine. Once the holidays are past I will get back into a regular habit.

Thought I'd post a couple of pictures for you. We have two trees this year. This one is in our living room:



I put up a second tree in our family room this year. It's one of those alpine firs (very tall and skinny and scant branches). I decided to put all of my handmade ornaments on it. Some of them I made, some were made by others. A few were purchased at boutiques. These are some of my favorite ornaments.



Lastly, I want to show you some felt ornaments I made when I was about 13 years old. I made them from a kit (Does anyone remember Leewards?) They hung on my mother's tree for years, and now they hang on mine.



It's hard to believe that Christmas is just around the corner. I still have shopping to do. I rarely get any baking done, but I always think I'm going to (the kitchen isn't my favorite room in the house anyway!) Kids are looking forward to a break from school over the holidays and amidst all the chaos we're expecting a full blown snow storm on Wednesday that will last through the weekend! Oh well, somehow everything still gets done. Have a great week!

Great Mail Day

I was so happy to see that I had a package in the mail today from Elegant Stitch. I received the latest installment of Essy's Friends. The other night I started working on the October kit - I will get caught up on these soon and post pics.

What I was most excited about was the new Hillside Samplings Alphabet Notebook! Happy Birthday to me! This will be one of the first projects I work on in the New Year!

Have a great weekend all!